Penn Highlands DuBois Receives Pathway to Excellence® Designation
On November 20, 2024, members of the Clearfield County community and surrounding areas gathered with leaders and nurses from Penn Highlands DuBois to celebrate the hospital’s Pathway to Excellence designation.
Penn Highlands DuBois joins a premier group of organizations that have received Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Pathway designation is a global credential that highlights Penn Highlands DuBois’ commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued. As a Pathway organization, Penn Highlands DuBois leads the effort to enhance quality of care, patient and nursing safety and the future of healthcare delivery.
"At Penn Highlands DuBois, our nurses are an integral part of the healthcare team with a voice in policy and practice," said Jill Muir, DNP, MS, RN, NE-BC, CCM, Chief Nursing Officer, Penn Highlands DuBois and Penn Highlands Clearfield. "Pathway nurses are engaged, resulting in higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, improved safety, and better patient outcomes."
Penn Highlands DuBois began its Pathway to Excellence journey on January 2, 2024. To qualify for the designation, the hospital demonstrated its commitment to the ANCC’s six Pathway Standards essential to an ideal nursing practice environment. These Standards include: shared decision making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being and professional development. The hospital then underwent a review process to fully document the integration of those standards in its practices, policies and culture.
When Pathway Standards are adopted throughout the organization, patients, nurses, the overall hospital and the community benefit through improved nurse satisfaction, retention of nursing staff and leaders, cultivation of inter-professional collaboration and implementation of high-quality nursing practices.